Poison and Honey: Buy Today!

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Keep your head down. Try not to get cursed. And whatever you do, stay away from the sly, handsome prince.

Ever since an unearthly monster abducted her sister, Leigh Morgan has known about magic. It’s why she’s in Otherworld now, posing as a servant in its dark, decadent palace. She’s gathering intelligence and working with a small band of allies to bring down the Others and free their human captives. Her mission depends on blending in, so the last thing she wants is to attract the attention of a cunning prince.

Dredarion Rath wants one thing: to disgrace his older brother and prove himself the worthier heir to the throne. And out of all the servants in the palace, he chooses Leigh to help him. Just her luck.

Now Leigh has to keep her work a secret from a bewitching man who sees right through her–and who’s not nearly as cold and inhuman as he seems. She can’t screw this up, or the humans forced into servitude will never go home. But juggling two conspiracies at once, it’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down, and the man she’s falling for has her executed for her betrayal…

Poison and Honey is an urban fantasy novella with a strong romantic subplot, perfect for fans of determined heroines, palace intrigue, and the fae. Download it today and venture into Otherworld—if you dare.

 

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Good for people who enjoy: strong female leads; tall, dark and handsome male lead; intense modern magic battle scenes; passionate but slow burn romance

Review: The Otherworld pulls in the reader as quickly and efficiently as it captures humans in the story.  If the strange but magnificent descriptions of the strange Others somehow does not pull you in, the witty but glacial lead, Leigh Moran, will.  An ex-convict with no other purpose in life than to avenge her kidnapped sister, Leigh finds her perfectly laid out plans ruined when she captures the interest of the second-born prince to the Otherworld kingdom of Dwencanti, Dredarion Rath.  Their pull to one another is somewhere between magnetic and explosive, or rather inevitable and deadly.  Knowing her growing affections could never end well due to her mission to free all human slaves and destroy the portals between the worlds, Leigh’s struggles only get worse when Dredarion requests her as his new handmaiden.  The forbidden romance makes you want to buy “Team Leighdarion” shirts, with you screaming at the cheering for the characters to get together, but also terrified of the pain both characters will feel when the truth of Leigh’s loyalties come to light.

To me, minor characters help create needed depth to stories, and the author does not disappoint.  There is Garrett Cohen, a tattoo-covered gay sniper and Leigh’s closest friend.  Zoe, a Black teenager with the innocence about her that manages to pull out Leigh’s protectiveness with her innocence.  And of course Rabsumorai Rath, better known as Prince Rab, the heir to Dwencanti throne and a happy, playful prince as his brother’s polar opposite.

Poison and Honey is a fantastic urban fantasy novella with diverse and dynamic characters that brings you into a beautifully lethally crafted world filled that leave you desperate to read more.

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*Please note that the link provided is an Amazon Associate link that will give J.E. Brand sales commission without taking away any profit from the author.

The Write Perspective: Kill the Queen

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Book Description:

Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance.

In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

 

Good for people who enjoy: strong female leads, intense sword/magic battle scenes, splash of romance

Review: This book easily pulled me in with the promise of being somewhere between Gladiators and Game of Thrones.  And the author didn’t lie, but now I love the book so much that I don’t like comparisons because it’s a beast to be reckoned with all on its own.  Estep created a wonderful world with its own unique laws to magic.  People are born as magiers, masters, or mutts – a decreasing ability with magic as you go down the list.  Our main character, Lady Everleigh Saffira Winter Blair, is on the “Winter” side of a Summer/Winter strong family bloodline.  When we meet her, she is a mutt through and through, but even then, we know something is up.

For me, a good book starts with the main character.  This sounds simple enough, but think of how many books are ruined by nonsensical characters.  Or ones whose all their problems could be solved if they only communicated.

But Evie didn’t let me down.  She grew up in a world where she was seventeenth in line for the throne.  Her parents were brutally massacred, and she was thrown into the queen’s castle where everyone is only out for themselves, desperate for a chance to win favor with the queen or crown princess (who I’ll get into later).  As someone who has walls up for various reasons, even when I desperately wanted her to say something she didn’t or share a secret she kept to herself, I understood why she didn’t.  Her character arc throughout the book is powerful, but also realistic.  She doesn’t trust people who haven’t earned it.  She’s as desperate for real friendship as she is terrified of it.  The only thing better than the fantastical world already set up by Estep was how character-driven this plot was.

The only character just as important as the hero is the villain.  And boy does this book have a good set of villains.  From the moment I met Vasilia, I wanted her blood.  I chanted the book’s title in my head as a mantra.  Kill the queen.  She’s a common case of someone spoiled rotten their whole life whose impatience and greed are her (and her kingdom’s) downfall.  “Her kingdom” and “her people” are not even close to being synonymous in her mind.  She’s the type of person that Littlefinger from Game of Thrones would love to meet, because she has all the greed and power with none of the mind power.  But instead of Littlefinger, we get Maeven.  Although she’s more in the background, Evie quickly realizes she’s the puppeteer.  Even though she doesn’t have the background with Evie to make us hate her and get the mob mentality for her death, she’s just as easy to want dead as Vasilia.

This book did all the big things right – world building, main characters, character arcs – but what really sealed the deal for me was the minor characters and their subplots.  The Black Swan gladiator troupe gave me multiple characters that I became very invested in.  The romance with Lucas Sullivan, the troupe’s trainer who has a past as complicated as Evie’s.  Splashed in the background giving you intimidate moments but leaving you desperate for more.  Serilda Swanson, owner of the Black Swans and ex-personal guard to the queen who is desperate for any Blair to be on the throne but Vasilia.  Xenia, the ogre dance instructor with an agenda of her own.  Paloma, Black Swan champion and brilliant fighter who has almost just as much reason to have trust issues as Evie.

I could go on and on about this book (and would love to in the comments below).  I can’t say enough times how much I would recommend this book.

Summer queens are fine and fair, with pretty ribbons and flowers in their hair.  Winter queens are cold and hard, with frosted crowns made of icy shards.

Overall Rating: 5 stars

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*These Amazon links are through Amazon Associates where I receive a small percentage (nothing taken from the book’s author or team).  This money will be put towards my own publishing efforts.

 

The Witch’s March: History Fact #6

Heinrich Himmler served Hitler as Nazi SS chief during World War II.  He was fascinated with the idea of occultic, dark magic.  Since the end of the war, his leading the Nazis towards these beliefs made for numerous books, films, and television shows.  The Witch’s March is no different… Urban legends still swirl around Himmler and his beliefs, and many of these stories and theories border on fantasy.  Despite Himmler being the most famous fanatic, there is actually a great deal of evidence that Hitler and his inner circle were very interested in mysticism and dark magic.

Himmler reportedly believed that the occult was the key to Aryan supremacy. As he grew in power and prominence within the German high command, his obsession with the mystic and arcane only increased more and more. He became fascinated by ancient history, but twisted it to fit his own needs and cause.

Not only was he interested in lost civilizations and distant ancestors – some of whom he tried to contact through seances – but he even started seeing his SS officers as a form of holy knights, similar to the Templar and Teutonic orders.

He was not alone in this, of course. Himmler was only one of many Nazi’s who collected books relating to matters of the occult. However, it is generally recognized that Himmler was particularly influenced by this movement. His beliefs influenced the way that he ran the SS and possibly are the reason for their extreme brutality during the war.

A 13,000-volume library – collected by Himmler – was found in a depot of the National Library of Czech Republic near Prague. The depot had not been accessed since the 1950’s.

Bjørn Helge, Norwegian Masonic researcher, told Verdens Gang (a Norwegian newspaper) that some of the books were seized from the Norwegian Order of Freemasons in Oslo during Nazi occupation of the country. Himmler had many occult books taken from countries occupied by the Germans.

Himmler founded the H Sonderkommando in 1935. The ‘H’ stood for ‘Hexe’ which is the German word for ‘witch.’ Their mission was to collect as much information as possible on sorcery, the occult and the supernatural.

In The Witch’s March series, we follow the brutality of Himmler through one of his (fictional) knights, Ehrhart König.  He sees the power of blood magic from our protagonist, and like any good villain, decides he wants it for himself.  For that very reason, though, blood magic isn’t what it’s often made out to be.  It’s a weapon that can be used by both sides – good and evil.  Magic is all about perception…

The Witch’s March: A Trilogy

“The more blood that is spilled, the more powerful she becomes… and there is plenty to spare in the middle of a war.”
 
Harriet Lange is daughter to one of the most powerful wizards in the world. His traditionally chauvinistic values forced her to secretly Bind to Blood magic and teach herself everything she knows, but the rarity of her forbidden powers make her that much more formidable on the battlefield.
 
Edwin Wright is loyal to a rivaling coven. He is the best pilot the British have to offer and a master of the elements. Thrown into leading a mismatched crew, he must find a way for their team to defy all odds and save enchanted prisoners of war before the enemy’s experiments weaponize their magic.
 
Albert Thys is an axe-wielding dwarf with a mind for explosives. His trust is hard to earn, but fierce once won. Having lost his family to a German air strike, he is boiling with the need for revenge. With dragons and airplanes both dominating the skies, his flair for bomb engineering proves more valuable than gold.
 
Rada Medved is a Russian Night Witch, and one of Germany’s greatest threats from the east. Having lived all of her life in the skies, she’s more than ready for her chance at combat.  Fighting skepticism and sexual harassment on the ground, she breathes in freedom and vengeance in the night skies when she takes down the Nazis one plane at a time.
War is inevitable. Death is coming. The only question is: will you hide, or will you fight?

A Wild Tomorrow: A Podcast

“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

Alexander Supertramp

 

I apologize about my lack of updates recently.  But I’m happy to say it’s because I’ve been busy: completed one novel and halfway through another.  If all keeps going well, I should definitely be on track to publish my new trilogy, The Witch’s March, next year.  And then also as you know the holidays… what time hasn’t been taken by my work has been spent happily in the company of family.  Whatever holidays you celebrate, if any at all, I hope were happy and warm!

As you all know, I am a strong advocate for seeking adventures both on pages and off.  Back in college, I was surrounded by business-minded people who were passionate about finding their jobs with the best firms where they could climb themselves to corporate success.  I really admired them, and still do.  To give you my attitude when I was amongst them, I think it’s easiest to explain via my ‘littles’ within my business fraternity.  One of them a New Business Account Executive for Google in New York City, and the other is an aspiring actor in Los Angeles.

Dylan Pritchett served on my pledge class’s executive board with me, and he stayed active in the fraternity with me as well.  Yet, somehow, through our almost three years of knowing each other, I never knew his real dreams.  I think that we were just in an environment that told you if it wasn’t a tradition 9 to 5 job, you weren’t going to succeed.  And while I would never tell any of you what to do with your life, I would encourage you to not limit yourself to others’ expectations.  Getting that waitressing or receptionist job so you can work less hours and focus on the bigger, better dream is not a bad choice.  It’s not belittling; it’s inspiring.

A Wild Tomorrow is a platform dedicated to helping ordinary people achieve their extraordinary dreams.  Whatever they may be, Dylan wants to help you find your purpose, achieve your dreams, and live your life the way you’ve always wanted to.  On your own terms.  Not in 5 or 10 years.  Today.  He offers multiple methods for you learn, including both a podcast and a blog.  His learnings aren’t limited to just one type of help either: he offers advice on keeping your mental health strong, coin in your bank account, and happiness at the center of everything.

Finding your dream is like finding a mountain.  You can see its beauty already, but know that the further you climb, the better it’ll be.  Start that climb today, and let A Wild Tomorrow give you the tools you need to make the climb just a bit easier, and the journey just that more enjoyable.